The Blame Game
by PartHeart
Summary: Jonny Maconie blames Jac Naylor for ruining his life. Jac Naylor blames an old face for ruining her's.
1. Chapter 1

**SPOILERS ARE IN THIS FIC. This is a new story on a new account so hopefully it isn't too awful but I felt like writing and this was created. This is intended to have multiple chapters but it may stay as a oneshot as I'm not motivated very often (oops). There may be a few errors but I hope it makes sense. Just a short chapter to start with, I'll try to make things more dramatic later on :3**

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She stared at him from the other side of the ward, tilting her head as she observed him. The way he carried himself had changed, he was a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. A soft sigh flowed from her mouth as she continued to stare; she couldn't stand the way he looked at her now. The silent accusation screaming at her from his pained eyes. This was her fault, it shouted. This was _all _her fault. She was the reason why there wasn't a Mrs Maconie irritating her on a daily basis, the reason why there wasn't a Mrs Maconie making those eyes of his light up with joy. He'd said it himself, she was poisonous. Toxic. Her touch like Midas', mutating everything she came into contact with.

She hastily turned her head around and cleared her throat as a soft voice came from behind her.

"He's not himself at the moment." The registrar sighed, crossing her arms and standing next to the slim consultant.

"Yes, thank you for that insightful comment, Maureen." Jac turned her head to reply, her voice staying level and emotionless in an attempt to end the conversation.

Mo continued regardless, speaking slowly, watching the other woman's face as she tested the water. "I heard about Emma-"

"I bet you did." Jac immediately spat back. "I'm glad that the grape vine isn't being given a chance to shrivel up."

"For the record I think he's wrong." Mo chewed her lip, keeping an eye on Jonny as he endured a lecture from an elderly patient.

"Excuse me?" Jac's reply came quickly, her eyebrows rising with her disbelief.

"You heard me." Mo muttered, not wanting to broadcast the betrayal.

"What did he do? Forget your birthday? Embarrass you in front of a family member? Take the last custard cream?"

"He's going through a tough time, he's not thinking straight." She butted in, needing to defend her friend. "He's hurting and that's why he's making mistakes."

"So that excuses him from wanting to take my daughter away from me?"

"No. But it explains it, doesn't it?" The registrar questioned, letting the question hang heavily in the air before clapping her hands together to diffuse the tense atmosphere. "Right, I better get on."

"Actually planning on doing some work today? There must be a blue moon." Jac quipped before walking away, ignoring the comments that the other woman had made. Mo shook her head in disbelief and walked in the opposite direction.

* * *

She gathered the end of her coat and sat down on the bench, spending a second to glance at the small engraved memorial plate which she quickly decided was too scratched to read. The hospital entrance was firmly within her sight, only a small, well-kept path and the car park road in her way. The soft breeze caused her wispy hair to dance and the overcast weather made her frail body shiver for warmth. With a deep breath she closed her eyes.

5 minutes on a library computer had told the woman on the bench all she needed to know. _She _was still here, still doing well. A consultant in fact. She was thriving. That was proof, wasn't it? They were better off without each other in the long run, if she hadn't left then she wouldn't have learnt how to be independent. She had done the right thing.

It'd been years since she'd last passed through those doors and back into her daughter's life. Their reunion had been short and not what most people would describe as sweet. But she came out alive, that had been all that had mattered at the time. She'd done what she'd needed to do and this trip, she exhaled loudly and convinced herself, was just as necessary as the last.

* * *

Jonny Maconie was in pain. He'd heard people flippantly use the term 'heart break' before but he'd always dismissed it, back then physical and emotional pain were two entirely separate concepts. With a snort and a shake of his head he acknowledged his younger self's naivety.

"Alright, Son?" Came the croak from Mr Johnson, an eighty six year old chain smoker whose heart and lungs had simultaneously decided that enough was enough.

"Aye, course." He replied immediately, working on autopilot.

A sigh from the older of the pair caused Jonny to pause, looking up from the points he was plotting on the chart.

"Nothing bothering you, is there, Richard?" The nurse asked out of obligation.

With a grumble the man in the bed sat forward, surveying his company with his wise eyes. "Ah, no, the drugs are doing their job alright." He quickly dismissed the worries. "But as the place is quiet I don't suppose you'd like a chat?"

Jonny looked around and found that the ward was practically a ghost town. No easy excuse for getting out of this one then. "Sure." He forced a fake smile as he slipped the file into its home on the end of the bed and sat down in the previously unoccupied chair. "I can spare a few minutes."

Richard nodded then quickly started his tale. "I've been a bit lonely since old Bets died. Fabulous woman was Betty. Used to wake us both up at five every day without fail for most of our married life. We'd have our breakfast and watch the sun rise together." He sighed, looking at the nurse with a grim look on his face. "It was the big C in the end. She stopped waking up so early, I made her go to the GP, had to force her. She was always funny about doctors. Well, it was too late." He paused, looking down at his wrinkled hands. "No one wanted her to suffer anymore. Apparently it was peaceful but I don't know how they know, it's not like they were inside her head."

"I'm sorry." Jonny sighed, letting his body slouch as he processed the man's words. The depressing news hadn't done anything for his mood, he gave the floor a stony glare, he shouldn't have decided to humour the old man. He'd had time with his wife. He was lucky.

"I did some crazy things after she was gone." Richard continued in a quieter voice, slowing down as he gauged his reaction. "Straight after the service I went to a shop. Spent three hours looking at alarm clocks, they had to throw me out in the end."

Jonny lifted his head to shoot Johnson a confused glare.

"I needed something to replace Bets. I couldn't be around anyone else, I turned against our friends. So for a while it was just me and that stupid alarm clock, waking me up at five each morning. But in the end things began to become okay. I let people in, stopped torturing myself, everything was more normal." A chesty cough interrupted his speech, leaving him a little breathless once he carried on. "My point is grief can do strange things to you-"

Jonny stood up sharply, his voice demanding. "Who told you?"

Richard sighed and shook his head. "That's neither here or there, son. But I just want you to know that you need to think about what you're doing- sort your head out-"

With a sharp shake of his head Jonny turned around, already starting to walk off as he called over his shoulder. "You- you have no idea how I feel!"

The old man sighed. The ward silenced. Jac's head snapped towards the direction of the commotion and Paula Burrows emerged from the lift, looking around with an outsider's sickening curiosity.

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**Thank you for reading, reviews would be lovely! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A bit of a filler chapter but hopefully it isn't too boring, enjoy!**

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The ward was silent was an immeasurable amount of time. In reality it was mere seconds but as Jonny Maconie's heart hammered in his chest it felt like an eternity. The silence continued until a sharp shout from the redheaded consultant broke the trance.

"Nurse Maconie, my office! Now!" Her voice demanded, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to bristle.

The nurse resisted the urge to kick a bin as he glared at her, stalking towards the office, his body tensed. He could feel the eyes of his colleagues burning into his skull. "Back off" He muttered under his breath as he wrenched the office door open. He paced up and down the small space, his irritation growing as he looked at the desk of the woman who'd ruined everything. How was he expected to stand here and get a dressing down from someone who he couldn't even find one shred of respect for?

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Jac took a deep breath, gritting her teeth to steel herself. She watched him journey to the office, raising her eyebrows as she watched the force he used to open the door. The flimsy wood shook as it swung back on its hinges. The door slammed shut.

With another deep breath she forced emotionless commands to issue from her mouth. "Nurse Watson, check on Mr Johnson, make sure he hasn't suffered from a heart attack due to Nurse Maconie's unprofessional behaviour."

The nurse nodded, getting out of the way of the irritated consultant as quickly as she could.

Mo had walked closer, hesitating near Jac. "Yes, Miss Effanga?"

The registrar shuffled uncomfortably under the scrutiny of the glare which had been pinned on her but crossed her arms and spoke regardless. "Go easy on him, yeah?"

The request drew an irritated sigh from the consultant. "He's acting like a spoilt brat, why should I?"

"Oh for goodness sake, have a heart! You do remember what's happened, don't you? Or are you too self-absorbed to even notice, to even care?"

Jac's eyes narrowed and she spoke in a dangerous hiss "Funnily enough the recent events haven't slipped my mind. I'll be in my office, try not to kill everyone in the five minutes I'm gone."

She sharply turned her head away before she headed over to where the nurse stood waiting. Once she was inside the office she silently walked over to her desk, sitting down and neatening a pile of paperwork which was awaiting her attention. The door bounced back on its hinges, shutting for the second time and with the sound Jac looked up.

The man stood in front of her was a mess, that much was blindingly obvious. Her attention was immediately drawn to the dark bags underneath his eyes. She knew that the same feature was mirrored in her own face but she'd hid it with caffeinated drinks and expensive make up. He'd made no such effort. It'd been their daughter's babbles and screams which had kept her up, the young girl would screech for attention at any time of the night or day. As she inspected him she wondered what was keeping him awake.

"You haven't been sleeping." She stated, noting the surprise on his face. Apparently he hadn't expected their conversation to start with this.

A light shrug of his shoulders was the only reply she got.

This wasn't what she'd been looking for. She scowled, his blank face irking her. "You better have a brilliant excuse for this."

"For what? Reacting like a normal human being? Like you'd know anything about that!" Jonny unfroze as his face contorted with emotion.

"Oh, so it's normal to shout at elderly men, is it?" Jac inquired with a smirk. She lifted her head to look him in the eye. "Apologise to him. Publically."

She watched as he looked down at his feet after giving her one single nod. A moment of silence passed before she turned to her computer, wiggling the mouse to bring the machine to life. "Run along then." She snapped in an exasperated manner.

* * *

Mo sat down at the nurses' station and leant back in the chair, letting her mind wonder as she kept an eye on the ward. The tense atmosphere was becoming hard to bare. The snappish remarks and awkward moments were a regular occurrence and she found herself constantly holding her tongue in fear that an innocent comment would spark yet another row.

The sound of someone clearing their throat made her look up. A woman stood close to the desk, a hand resting on her chest. Her clothes were better suited to a hotter climate, the bright yellow of her top looking out of place in the dull daytime light that immersed the ward. A collection of rough shaped wooden bangles stuck out from a cardigan which looked too light and flowing to be in any way practical. Her skin looked as if once upon a time it had been fair but had since been marked by the sun. Wrinkles and laugh lines were etched across her face.

"Can I help you?" Mo asked, making her voice bright and friendly.

The woman nodded then spoke slowly, dragging out the sentence as if her words had some grand meaning. "I've come to see Jackie, is that her office?" She asked whilst gesturing over. "I can pop in now, if you want? Stop her from laying into that nurse? I know she can be a little prickly."

Mo's expression quickly turned to one of confusion. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude but who are you?"

"Ah, sorry." The woman smiled. "I should've introduced myself. I'm Paula…"

Mo's face stayed blank so Paula continued. "Jackie's mother?"

The registrar's eyes lit up at the gossip. "Right… I thought er- never mind. Does Ms Naylor know you're here? "

Paula's smile faltered a little as she answered the question. "Not yet, no. But you see it really is quite important that I speak to her."

Mo crossed her arms, she'd heard the gossip, most of Holby had. As she stared at the woman she wondered what parts of it were true. The donated kidney could be vouched for- the long, thin scar on her boss's torso had spiked her interest before. The part where she ran off only a week later also seemed believable. She seemed too flaky, her head up in the clouds. Mo tried to remember if she'd heard Jac talk of her mother before, she chewed the inside of her cheek as the words suddenly came back to her. Jac had been holding the baby she'd carried inside of her for roughly nine months. She'd been talking, acting uncharacteristically nice. Her eyes narrowed at Paula as the matter-of-fact like way she'd revealed a tiny part of her past replayed in her head. '_My mum walked out of the hospital and just left me there._'

"I'll go and see her now then..." Paula announced, a little taken aback from the silence of her company.

"No." Mo shook her head, standing up quickly to stop the woman from moving any closer to the room containing her daughter. She felt an odd urge to protect the consultant, in her mind she could picture a small baby with a tuft of ginger hair. The spitting image of Emma apart from the fact that she was alone, her face red and blotchy from crying. She thought of the child which was never really hers. The reluctance she felt as he was handed over. Knowing that Jac's mother had chosen to give her up made an anger burn inside her. "Why don't you help yourself to a cup of tea?" She offered, struggling to remain civil. "I'll let Ms Naylor know you're here." '_She deserves a warning' _she thought bitterly.

"I don't want a cup of tea, thank you." Paula replied, a flash of irritation flickering across her features before she covered it with a sickly sweet smile. "I'm sure she can handle the surprise. She's strong and independent is my Jac." Before Mo had a chance to reply Paula had walked off, some piece of elaborate jewellery causing a jingling sound with every step she took.

* * *

Jonny closed his eyes, counting to ten to keep his temper under control. _She's doing this on purpose. Don't let her get to you. It's mind games, rise above it._

His eyes flew open as she cleared her throat.

"Why are you still here?" The tone of her voice was sharp, cutting at him like a knife.

He forced a smile which lasted for less than a fraction of a second. "No reason. Don't flatter yourself, no one would want to spend any more time with you than what's strictly necessary."

Her eyes darted around the room and then back to him again. "Then kindly stop loitering, you're making the place look untidy."

"I'm going!" He growled, yanking the door open with excessive force. He took a surprised step back, the woman who he'd been face to face with stepped into the room.

"Sorry." He muttered out of habit, before attempting to leave again. He grunted indignantly as Mo shoved past him and let the door slam behind her.

"What the hell is going on!?" He demanded.

Mo glanced nervously at Jac, speaking in little more that mutter. "I tried to stop her-"

Jonny turned around to look at everyone in the room, his eyes reaching Jac last. Her eyes were wide and unblinking as she stared. He crossed his arms and scrunched his face up in confusion, a call of concern bubbling up his throat before he could stop it. "Jac?"

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**Thank you for reading, please review- it motivates me to update quicker :3**


	3. Chapter 3

**Just to clarify the only spoiler in this fic was the return of Paula :3 I'm sorry if this chapter is a little confusing, I was a bit unsure about it whilst writing. But anyway, now for the start of the unrealistic drama!**

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"No." Jac muttered without realising._ This wasn't fair, she wasn't allowed back! _She could feel everyone's eye on her. Suddenly the room was uncomfortably hot.

"Hello again, Jackie." Her mother greeted her, a welcoming smile on her face.

Jac glared back, standing up and roughly pushing her chair out of the way. Her hands were bunched up in fists, her white knuckles protruding under the stretched skin. "What do you want this time? Come back for the other kidney?" She asked with a slightly hysterical laugh. Her eyes stayed cold.

Mo looked up from her feet to share a look with Jonny. The atmosphere was tense and awkward. Jac's eyes darted towards them and they both quickly looked down.

Paula sighed and shook her head, her eyes still fixed on Jac. "No need to be a drama queen, darling. Why don't you introduce me to your friends?"

"Colleagues." Jonny quickly butted in, hesitantly holding out a hand for the woman to shake. "Nurse Maconie, who might you be?"

"Paula Burrows, Jackie might have said something about me?" She inquired whilst shaking his hand flimsily and searching his face. After finding no hint of recognition she explained. "I'm her mother." A snort from Jac caused her to turn her head and address her "We may have spent a while apart but that doesn't change that fact."

Mo cleared her throat and held her hand out, following the nurse's lead. "Mo Effanga. I'm Ms Naylor's registrar."

"As much as I'm sure you'd love a cosy chit chat you can go now." Jac interrupted, walking to the office door and opening it with force. "You're paid to work, not to gossip. If even a whisper of this gets out-" She let the words hang in the air as she fixed her staff with a cold glare.

"You'll do what?" Jonny questioned, crossing his arms and standing still. "Your pathetic threats don't scare me."

Mo chewed on her lip. She put a hand on the nurse's shoulder, half of her wanted to drag him from the room, she was certain that the following conversation wasn't going to be pretty. The other, slightly less moral, side of her wanted to stay. Jac Naylor was a mystery. A puzzle. Paula Burrows seemed to hold the answers.

Jac continued to stand by the door, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for someone to move. After a few seconds she quickly came to the conclusion that no one was going anywhere. With a growl of frustration she slammed the door shut again.

"Fine. Stay. If you tell anyone I will make your life living hell." She turned to Jonny "And that's not a threat, that's a promise."

Jonny quickly opened his mouth to retaliate but was shocked to find that was Paula defending him. "Now, now, Jacqueline. There's no need to be like that." She tutted.

Mo looked at her in disbelief and Jac tensed. "Don't patronize me. Don't you dare talk to me like that! How dare you act like you were ever a mother to me!"

Paula stared out of the window. Her daughter's shouts were met with a mutter. "I did what was right for both of us. That's all I've ever done. You were a difficult child. So needy. I couldn't manage, you were better off with people who knew how to deal with you."

"'Deal with me'." Jac echoed, her voice sounding hollow. "I was never a daughter to you, was I? I was just an inconvenience." She took a step closer to Paula, forcing her to look her in the eye. "We've been over this. Do you remember the last time?" She spat at her. Fuming. Jonny and Mo's eyes stared straight at her but it was as if they weren't even there. "This isn't my fault. This was never my fault! You left because you were bored of me! I- I needed you-!"

Paula shook her head. Her lips pursed shut.

"You don't have anything to say for yourself?" Mo demanded causing everyone's heads to snap towards her direction.

"You wouldn't understand." Paula stated, dismissing her with a wave of her hand.

"Then why don't you try to explain?" Jonny asked, slowly looking between the three women. His earlier anger had dissipated, concentration taking its place as he tried to piece together the story.

Paula sighed, taking a seat on the sofa which earned an irritated huff from Jac. "I was young when I had Jackie. There was so much I was missing out on. I'd been through too much putting my own life on hold and then the opportunity to make a difference in India came up. It would've been stupid to turn that down."

"So you just left your daughter?" Jonny inquired, sounding a little disgusted. The thought of leaving Emma caused a shiver to run down his spine. "How could you do that?"

Paula narrowed her eyes at him. "She was capable. Smart. Old enough to look after herself. The children in India needed me more. I've done a lot of good work out there."

"How old was she?" Mo opened her mouth and spoke again, her voice cracking.

"I was twelve." Jac muttered, her eyes firmly fixed on the floor.

"You were always mature for your age." Paula looked towards her.

"So that excuses it, does it?" Jonny shook his head as he spoke.

The older woman looked back at the floor, unable to face him. "You're awfully interested for someone who's just a colleague." She challenged.

Jonny froze. He wasn't supposed to care. He looked across at Jac, her finger nails were digging into her palms as her delicate hands remained curled up into fists. Her bottom lip was stuck out in a pout, her eyes covered with a shimmering layer of unfallen tears. The occasional sniff made it apparent that she was trying her hardest not to cry. As she noticed him looking she quickly turned her head away, she dug her fingernails deeper into the taut skin as she felt shame wash over her.

"It's complicated." Was all the nurse could muster as a response.

The office was uncomfortably quiet before Jac looked back at the woman on the sofa. With a deep breath she forced herself to stand tall. She uncurled one of her hands and rubbed it across her face, furiously disposing of the tears. "Why are you back? What do you want, another organ?"

"Don't be stupid." Paula muttered, standing up and rustling through her bag.

"Is that really stupid?" Jac laughed again and then raised an eyebrow. "What are you looking for?"

Without saying a word Paula pulled a thick, official looking envelope out of her bag.

Jac took a step forward and snatched it off her, turning the heavy paper over in her hands and raising an eyebrows as the angry red letters caught her eye. "Final notice? Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear." She stared at her mother. "You want to take my money."

"I didn't know who else to go to." She spoke quietly, looking at the letter.

"Why not Grandad? It wouldn't be the first time you've leeched off him. If you think I'm giving you anything then you are sorely mistaken."

"It's, it's too much. He couldn't afford it. I borrowed some money but now-" Paula gulped and looked away. "I can't pay him back. I gave him your name."

"You gave who my name?" Jac growled, her eyes narrowing.

Paula's face crumped and tears welled in her eyes as the words came pouring out of her mouth. "I thought I'd be able to pay him back-! He, he said if I didn't get him the money he'd kill me."

Jac's eyes hardened and she took a step back. Her eyes were wide and shocked. "A loan shark? You- you-" She gasped and shook her head again. Hysteria crept into her voice "I hate you!"

"I'm calling the police" Jonny snarled, storming towards the phone on Jac's desk. "This is mad."

"Don't!" Paula yelped "He'll know! Please Jackie, you have to help me!"

"You haven't given her a choice!" Mo talked over her, her voice rising in anger. "What sort of mother does this!?"

Jac scrunched her eyes shut. A splitting headache caused her mouth to twist into a grimace. "Shut up!" She shouted. "Just shut up!

The room fell silent. Jac slowly opened her eyes. Almost as soon as the room was quiet her mobile vibrated, jumping on the glass surface.

Jonny picked it up, quickly glancing to see if he recognised the contact. "Unknown number." He shrugged as he held it out for Jac.

With shaky hands she took the phone off him. After three attempts she managed to answer the call. She placed the phone to her ear. A man's rough voice whispered in her ear.

"Jac, what is it?" Mo's eyebrows furrowed together. The consultant's face turned white.

"Jac?" Jonny echoed Mo, taking a step towards her as concern flooded his features.

With a sickening crash the phone fell to the floor. Jac looked towards it in shock and then back up at Jonny. Her voice shook and her eyes were wide and startled. A deer caught in blinding headlights. "He wants half a million." She stuttered "And he has Emma."

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**Thank you for reading and, as always, reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the slow update! This chapter gets quite strange so I'm sorry for that. Also, I'm sorry if any characters seem OOC, I'm purposely writing Jonny a little different as he's grieving but I can't really use that as an excuse for anyone else. I haven't had much sleep so if there's any huge mistakes I'm blaming sleep deprivation :') **

* * *

Jac's breath caught in her throat. Her heart jumped in her chest. Her mind panicked. Her eyes were frozen on Jonny who had in turn turned into a statue. Mo's hand was on her chest, her eyes wide and an expression of sheer shock plastered on her face. Paula walked up and down, unaffected by the paralysis that the news had brought upon the majority of the people in the packed room.

"Who's Emma?" She asked in a tone which was far too light for the severity of the situation. Jonny unfroze and quickly advanced towards the woman, pushing her into the corner.

"Who's Emma? Who's Emma!?" He repeated. Paula shied back and Jonny's voice turned from a shout to a grave whisper. "Emma is _my_ beautiful baby daughter. She is the _most_ precious thing in this entire world. She is the reason why I get up in the morning."

Paula shuffled nervously. She spoke quietly as she backed further into her corner with her eyes on Jac. "I'm a grandmother?" She gasped.

"You are nothing to her expect the reason why she's in danger!" Jac snapped. A sense of helplessness had taken over the usually self-assured consultant. Her body was tensed, her muscles waiting to spring into the action which her brain was screaming for. A wild glint could be seen in her eyes, a feral need for her child to be safe and close by.

Paula looked down. "I didn't know about her. I didn't want this to happen."

"Well it is happening." Mo stated bluntly before turning her attention to Jac, directing her question to the distressed woman. "What are you going to do? Do we get the police involved?"

Mother and daughter answered simultaneously. A sharp "No!" Came from Paula's mouth whilst Jac shook her head, taking time to choose her words carefully. As much as she hated agreeing with the woman who'd brought her into the world her mind was made up. "I'm not going to do anything which could put Emma further to risk. If we go to the police, he'll know." She explained quietly.

Mo nodded reluctantly. "Then what do we do? You're not seriously going to give him all that money, are you?"

"She is." Jonny answered for her. He walked over to Jac, bending down to pick up her broken phone and then pocketing it. "You got us into this mess." He articulated, attempting to keep his voice level as he took control of the situation. "If it wasn't for you then Emma would be safe. If- if you weren't her mother then I'd be happy, I'd have a family. I'd love them more than the world. " He chuckled and shook his head, the sound hollow and synthetic. "But no, instead you've got us into this mess." He crossed his arms before continuing. "This is what's going to happen; I'm going to keep your phone. You are to have no more contact with this man, I can't trust you not to mess it all up again. You're also going to give me enough money to get Emma back, you're right on one thing- we can't go to the police, it's too risky." With a deep sigh he delivered his next words. "And once this madness is over I'm going to continue fighting for custody of Emma. I'm not going to let you and your messed up past hurt her anymore."

Jac stiffened, her hands clenching into fists once again. "My daughter has been taken away from me. You want me to give you that ridiculous amount of money so you can keep her away? You're deluded."

Jonny took a deep breath to calm himself "She's not safe with you. This is what's best for her."

"No, this is just what you've decided is best for her! You're not even giving me a chance!" Jac declared with a raised voice.

"Will you just forget about this stupid custody battle for five minutes!?" Mo interpreted, matching Jac's decibel. "In case the two of you have forgotten your daughter has been abducted!"

"Keep your voice down!" Jac snapped whilst glancing at the door nervously. After holding her breath for a few seconds she concluded that it was safe to continue in a quiet hiss. "This is hardly something which is likely to slip my mind, Maureen."

Paula cleared her throat to gain everyone's attention. She looked around the room before apprehensively announcing "How do we know that this isn't a bluff?"

"Excuse me!?" Jonny demanded incredulously.

"Well all you're going on is what Jackie heard on the phone. Who's supposed to be looking after Emma?" She questioned, desperately trying to find a solution which made her blameless.

"She has a nanny." Jac answered in an impatient matter. "I don't see how this is relevant."

"If your daughter had been taken then the nanny would've phoned." Paula explained slowly, her voice patronizing.

Jac gritted her teeth whilst Jonny pulled out Jac's cracked phone from his pocket. "No new messages." He informed his company.

Jac held her hand out. "Give it to me, I'll call her."

"No." Jonny immediately protested. "I will."

"Stop squabbling and get on with it!" Mo instructed as she put her hands on her hips. The urgency of the situation was eating at her and the slow paced decision making caused her to grow more irritated with each passing second.

Jac sighed and then looked away as she backed down, leaving the nurse to get on with it. "Hurry up then!" She barked as the nurse nodded slowly.

"Alright, alright!" He huffed as he quickly found the nanny's number, his accent becoming more pronounced with his indignation.

Once he'd finished tapping against the rough cracks of the screen he held the phone close to his ear. He held his breath as he listened to the phone ring. The line crackled and then connected.

"Hello, ABC Nanny Agency, Lara speaking." A female voice chirped in his ear.

Jonny cleared his throat and spoke, struggling to sound even the slightest bit cheerful. "Hi, Lara, it's Jonny." He took a deep breath. "I was just ringing to check that you're with Emma?"

"Oh." The nanny squeaked in surprise. "No, a man came round, he called himself Mike. He said he was an old family friend, he was allowed to take her wasn't he? Oh gosh- I should've checked, it's just that my mind's been all over the place- " She started to gush. "He left a present, that's what convinced me to let him take her- he was ever so friendly-"

The nurse's face became one of dread. With a ragged breath he sucked air in. "No- no-" His voice cracked and he shut his eyes. The words that came out of his mouth sounded like poorly rehearsed lines. "It's fine. He was allowed to take her. We won't need you for a little while. I'll- I'll phone you when we need your services again."

"Phew!" Lara laughed. "I was seriously panicking then. So when do you think you'll next need me-?"

Jonny pulled the phone away from his ear and quickly hung up, unable to listen to her cheerful voice for a second longer. "We're firing her." He announced stonily.

Paula's face dropped. Jac shot her a murderous glare.

Jonny dragged a hand through his curly hair, wincing as he tugged hard to free his fingers as they snagged. "Mo, please can you cover for us?" He pleaded.

The registrar bit her lip. "Why, where are you going?"

"'Mike' has left Jac a present." He informed her as he started to pace up and down, making quotation marks with his fingers as he said the man's name.

Jac raised her eyebrows at the news. Her face scrunched up in confusion. "A present?"

Jonny nodded curtly in Jac's direction before turning back to his friend. "We're going to go and check it out, it'll probably give us instructions regarding Emma."

"Who is 'we'?" Paula asked in a sheepish tone.

"Certainly not you." Jonny spat. "You're staying right here."

Paula sighed but didn't argue. Instead she chose to relax further into the office sofa.

Mo chewed the inside of her cheek as she searched for the confidence to speak up. Jonny seemed to be so confident about what to do, as questions and uncertainties hounded her she found herself envying him. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Mac? I mean do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into?"

Jonny stopped pacing and he angrily shook his head. He wished she'd stop making him think. He was terrified, not thinking through the situation helped him keep up a façade of bravery. "I need to do this." He insisted.

"If you're sure?" Mo questioned. She watched to see the nurse nod. "Then I can cover. Be careful. Promise me you won't do anything stupid."

Jac silently pulled on her NHS jacket and Jonny nodded once. Neither could look each other in the eye.

* * *

The room was dark, a single bulb hung from a frayed wire which swung haphazardly was the only source of light. The light did a poor job at illuminating the room, spreading an artificial yellow colour made the objects only about visible. Splodges of damp had attacked the ceiling and walls. A small desk took centre space, a tattered office chair stood behind it. Amongst the burnt out cigarette stubs on the desk stood a baby carrier. A desperate mewl came from inside. Small arms and small legs waved around frantically.

A man entered the room and scowled, it had only been five minutes since he'd last got the brat to shut up. With a muttered curse he walked over to the small creature and held a grubby finger above her. With a snort of amusement he watched her cling onto it and quieten down. "That's it, princess." He cooed with a sickening smile on his face. "Be a good girl and give me some peace and quiet. If you can learn to keep your mouth shut I think we're really going to get along."

* * *

Jac growled in frustration as she watched Jonny obsessively check the change he held in his hand before handing it over to the slightly bewildered taxi driver. The pair had spent the short car journey fidgeting, their unrelaxed behaviour had unnerved the man driving the vehicle. Jac's bike remained in the hospital car park- she'd quickly decided that she didn't want anyone as her passenger. After taking one look at the nurse's shaking hands she'd also swiftly vetoed him from driving.

As soon as the money had exchanged hands Jac jogged off, fumbling clumsily as she let herself into her flat. Once the door was open she paused, taking a hesitant step forward once she felt Jonny's breath on her neck confirming his presence.

"Okay?" He whispered to her. Her fear was obvious to him, as he observed her he vouched to himself that he'd stay brave.

"Yeah." She answered under her breath. She couldn't bring herself to talk at a normal volume, this place was no longer her safety. As she quietly inspected each room she found herself wondering if she'd ever be able to relax here again.

She was quickly dragged from her thoughts as her eyes stumbled on a large, pastel pink coloured teddy bear which had been placed comically on a kitchen chair as if it was sitting down and waiting for a meal.

"What the hell-" Jonny muttered, placing a protective arm in front of Jac without realising as he edged closer.

The bear stared at the couple with its dead button eyes. The stitched on smile managed to look like an evil, taunting smirk. Around its neck was an excessively large bow, each side looked completely symmetric. A small piece of paper had been neatly tucked in between the bow and a bear.

"Look-" Jac nodded towards it. She gulped as Jonny took a step closer and pulled it out from the bow.

Before he had a chance to unfold the message a door slammed shut. The hairs on the back of his neck stuck up straight. An ear piecing shriek shot out of Jac's mouth. Her eyes widened as she realised the sound was coming from herself and with a gasp she stuck a hand over her mouth, smothering the noise until it was no more. Once again there was silence.

* * *

**Sorry if this didn't make any sense, reviews are always loved :3 **


	5. Chapter 5

**I updated even slower this time oops, so sorry for that. I'll probably only be able to update at weekends whilst I'm at school because I'm busy but I'll try to keep updates regular. Thank you to everyone who's reviewing and in reply to that guest review, I want to write a Jac/Joe fic because I love them together but I'm quite busy at the moment so there probably won't be a chance for be to be able to write anything too soon, sorry! This chapter has taken a while to write and I'm not too happy with it but I thought it was better to update with something than leave it any longer, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Jonny and Jac's eyes were glued towards the open door which peered into the corridor. Both were completely frozen. Jac's hand remained pressed against her mouth whilst Jonny's was curled tightly around the note, crumpling the corners of the tightly folded piece of paper.

The silence was unnerving. The quiet sound of the pair's breathing felt like as if it should've been deafening. A nervous gurgle from Jonny's throat caused him to scrunch his eyes shut, almost certain that he'd alerted the intruder of their presence if they happened to have been unaware. Jac flinched at the noise. Both were completely on edge.

The silence shattered in a manner similar to a china plate colliding with a hard, granite hard ground. The delicate absence of sound shattering with the muffled creak of floor boards and footsteps.

The noise made Jonny spring into action, moving from his frozen stance into one more suited for a fight or flight response. After shoving the paper into his pocket he crept in front of Jac, walking lightly on the balls of his feet and making as much sound as a shadow.

However it seemed that their attempts to remain undetected were futile. The unmistakable overconfident leer of a man soon made it obvious that the intruder's presence wasn't just an extraordinary coincidence. "Nice place you've got here, Jackie!"

Jac tensed, shooting Jonny a nervous glance before quickly turning her head away to mask the movement. After a second of silence she found herself deciding that there was no point in keeping up the pretence that she wasn't in. Reluctantly she poked her head out of the kitchen door, peering down the corridor into her living room.

Upon one of her previously pristine sofas lounged the owner of the voice which had called out to her. If her heart hadn't been trying to escape her chest Jac would've found his appearance laughable. He was the Hollywood definition of a thug. A lump of a man, his build beyond solid. A large leather jacket was paired with a pair of tacky sunglasses which were trying too hard to imitate the market's leading product. His heavy boots were propped up on a cushion which was achieving poorly in its mission to remain white and a cigarette hung loosely in-between two stubby fingers. A lazy grin spread across the man's face as he watched the consultant slowly emerge.

Jac stuck an arm behind her, pushing against the nurse's chest to warn him to stay out of site before slowly and cautiously treading into the short, bare corridor. She lifted her head up high and narrowed her eyes before speaking, choosing each word carefully after her opinion of the man had been formed. "I'm glad you think so." She replied coolly. "But I wonder if you could call me Ms Naylor and I don't mean to sound rude but I don't recollect inviting you in."

"That's because you didn't, Darlin'." The man chuckled, drawing out her name as he continued with a mocking smirk. "But _Jackie_, with an unlocked door you're practically asking for it."

Hidden out of sight Jonny bristled in anger and Jac fought the impulse to take a step back as she glared at the man and stood her ground. A shiver ran down her spine.

"Why on earth would I ask for swine like you to let yourself into my home?" She questioned in an emotionless tone which she'd spent the best part of a lifetime perfecting.

The man's eyes turned cold and he swung his feet of the sofa to the floor, lumbering up in one fast, clumsy movement. "I thought you were supposed to be clever." He tutted, walking closer to inspect a certificate which hung, surrounded by a modest frame, on the otherwise plain wall.

Jac took a step forward, drifting to keep the same distance between her and the stranger as she watched what he was doing. "I _am_ clever."

The man lifted a hand to trace the swirling typography under the glass with one oversized digit. "Well I suppose all these fancy letters after your name are there for a reason but honestly, princess, there must be something wrong in that pretty little head of yours if you think it's a good idea to disrespect me. I don't often deal with posh birds like you but I have to say I'm disappointed. I expected more. "

A small growl of anger escaped Jac's throat as she placed her hands on her hips. "You want respect?" She laughed, her eyes staying completely cold. "The day I respect someone like you is the day hell freezes over. Now, what's your name? Mike, was it?"

The man's smirk twisted into a full on grin. "'Mike'?" He quoted with a snort. "Is that the name the boss left this time? Nah, that's not me, but hmm, how about you call me Steve? I haven't used Steve in a while."

Jac tilted her head as she took in the man's appearance for the second time, quickly reforming her opinion. With a raised eyebrow she moved closer to the man she'd dubbed as 'Probably Not Steve'. Once she was less than a metre away from his face she paused, now it was her time to smirk. "You're just the bone monkey, aren't you?" I want to speak to the organ grinder."

Not Steve opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again, faltering. "Well you've got me." He eventually grumbled. "And I'm not to be messed with!"

Jac smiled patronisingly and nodded. "Of course, I'm sure you're very good at being big, mean and scary. Now, how about we get on with things. Why were you sent here?"

'Steve' cleared his throat and crossed his arms, regaining some of his earlier confidence. "I've been sent to discuss how our little negotiation is going to work. Shall we take a seat, Jackie?"

Jac pursed her lips, growing a little more agitated as she was reminded of what was at stake. She turned around to glance in the direction of her kitchen and Jonny's hiding place before turning her attention back to the man and nodding. "If we must."

The man nodded then resumed his earlier position on the sofa, giving Jac a mocking look as he put his feet up, acting like he owned the place. With one swift movement he pulled his sunglasses off to reveal a pair of dull, pig like eyes.

After scowling in return Jac perched on the end of an armchair. Her tensed position the opposite of her company who was sprawled out on the sofa. After a second of silence she tilted her head to the side and looked him straight in the eye. "So…?"

"You're not even going to pop the kettle on?" He taunted then shook his head, a look of mock upset on his features. "You're not making me feel too welcome."

Jac's scowl grew with her impatience. Her voice grew more passionate as she spoke, the words flowing quickly as emotion coursed through her "How about we cut the crap and you tell me how I'm going to get my daughter back, and I'm warning you, if you've hurt even a single hair on her head-!"

"If you give us the money then we won't have a reason to harm her, Love." '_Probably Not Steve'_ replied and then chuckled, clucking his tongue. "But if you can't promise that then we can't promise she'll be returned in the state she was taken. It's simple really, you've got something we want and we have something you want. The deal is we meet in two days' time, we'll send someone round to collect you from here so make sure you're in, we're not going to trust you with the address. If you have the money, you get the kid. If not…" He trailed off and then grinned in a sickening manner. "Well little Emma isn't going to enjoy it."

"You're sick." Jac spat at him, fire burning in her eyes as she launched herself from her tense position to pace up and down. "She's a baby! Does that mean nothing to you? She's my daughter!"

"Hey, hey!" 'Steve' held his hands up defensively in front of him, the sincerity of his words completely eradicated by the smirk set on his face. "I prefer to keep the kids out of stuff like this but work is work."

"Yes, you're really acting like this is a hardship." She snarled while looking him up and down and raising an eyebrow at his relaxed posture.

'Steve' shrugged with another chuckle. His eyes were lit up with sadist exhilaration. He enjoyed this, toying with her as if he was a cat and she a frightened rodent. He sat up and leant forward before delivering the next blow. "Your daughter really is quite like you, you know? Both of you seem to share the inability to stop whinging."

The reaction he received was not the one he'd entirely expected. The furious expression on the redhead's face he'd accounted for. A noise from a different room threw him.

* * *

Jonny seethed in anger. He considered it a miracle that he'd managed to keep quiet for as long as he did but hearing the man's taunts and jibes had pushed him over the edge. During the whole conversation he'd been in an almost paralytic state of agitation. Each word that came out of Jac's mouth felt wrong. The situation was delicate, he wanted to shout at her to stop and to let him take over. He couldn't risk anything. But she'd carried on. She'd attempted to turn the situation around and assert her authority. In Jonny's mind she was digging not only her own but all of their graves.

Before he could stop to think his hand had collided with the side of a sturdy looking cupboard. A groan left his mouth as the strong wood refused to relent and his knuckles cracked as skin was torn from them.

"Fuck-! Oh god-" He hissed under his breath, shaking his hand as it stung. However he was soon distracted of the pain as the sound of someone getting up reached his ears and caused him to freeze, his body came to a complete standstill as if ice now ran through his veins and weighed him down.

* * *

Jac's breath caught in her throat and her eye's widened in horror. 'Steve' narrowed his eyes and pushed himself to his feet. A nervous gulp indicated her nerves as the man slowly stalked towards her. Each step he took seemed tortuously slow but the depleting distance between them caused her stomach to flip along with her pounding heart.

"You didn't tell me we had company, Jackie." He breathed softly, a quiet, dangerous anger radiating from him.

"I- " Jac gulped then cleared her throat as her words refused to leave her mouth. "I- you never asked."

With one more step the distance between the two was gone. Jac flinched as the man's index finger lifted her chin up so she was staring into his dark eyes. "You were told not to contact the police." He murmured, gently moving his hand from keeping her chin up to cradling her neck. As he continued to speak he increased the pressure and hold he had on her neck, pushing against the milky white skin until a choking sound came spluttering out of Jac's mouth. "I do hope you haven't been a stupid girl."

Jac stumbled back, shaking her head frantically as she tried to squirm free. Without warning she was slammed against the wall and pinned still by her attacker's body. He leant closer to her, as if he was leaning in for a kiss. Jac's eyes scrunched shut and she choked again, this time in disgust. As she gasped to draw breath in she felt the sickening heat and moister of the man's on her neck. "Because if have…" He whispered in a hostile tone. "It's not just your life on the line."

"No!" She gasped, the lack of air turning her voice into a squeak as she talked frantically. "You've got it wrong! There's- there's no police. Jonny-!"

'Steve' cocked his head and loosened his grip on her neck by a margin and grabbed onto her shoulder with his free hand to shake her body. "'Who's Jonny'?" He demanded.

Jonny's fists clenched as he heard his name causing a shooting pain to run up his arm as he moved the damaged knuckle. Adrenalin shot through him as he heard his name, working like anti-freeze against the force that had frozen him.

Quickly he darted out of the kitchen, using the door frame to propel himself quicker down the corridor.

The sight he arrived to shocked him. Jac's body was almost completely obscured by her captor's, only the top of her ginger hair visible of the shoulder of the large man. Both were two caught up in their violent embrace to even notice his entrance.

A burst of anger shot through him again as he watched Jac's body shake like a flimsy toy doll. "I'm Emma's dad!" He snarled. "Now get your hands of her mum!"

The man took a quick step back to swerve around and face him. He quickly looked him up and down, sizing up the threat and holding his hands out like a hostile bear's claws. "You're not the police!?" He clamoured, an almost hopeful glint in his otherwise manic eyes.

"Not the police." Jonny nodded. His mouth tightening into a pained, straight line as he confirmed the allegation.

Jonny flinched as the man let out a sickening hoot of laughter and his eyes flickered to Jac as he watched her slowly slide down the wall, rubbing her neck and gasping wildly.

'Steve' shot the pair one last look before strolling to the door, a relieved grin still on his face. "I'll see you in two days, Jackie. You can bring Daddy but no one else or you know what happens."

Jac glared at him feebly and he laughed once more. "Consider this a warning!" He smirked before disappearing. The door slammed shut and Jac and Jonny were once more on their own.

* * *

**Thank you for reading :3 reviews are great for motivating me to write ;)**


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